Greetings from the usually sunny and always busy University of Central Florida Libraries, home to the Orlando PTRC since December 30, 1988. I arrived at UCF in the summer of 2010, and have been the PTRC representative since summer of 2015. I also serve as subject librarian to the anthropology and sociology departments. The PTRC is operated out of the Research and Information Services department in the John C. Hitt Library on the main campus.
I invited Craig Morris, head of the USPTO Trademark Education Outreach program, to conduct several lectures in Orlando. November 7 he spoke on Trademark Basics at the UCF Library, then gave a similar program hosted by the National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando later that evening. The next day began with Breakfast with a Trademark Expert, hosted by the UCF Office of Technology Transfer, and wrapped up with lectures to both senior seminars in UCF’s Graphic Design program, addressing copyright and trademark concerns for graphic artists.
Image 1: Craig Morris with UCF Advanced Graphic Design Class
The following week the library hosted a Panel Presentation, the IEEE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Seminar, imagineered by our customer service representative Ruth Wolfish and sponsored by IEEE. The goal was to assemble STEM entrepreneurs and professionals with experience developing startups and, after quick introductions, open the floor to questions from the audience. The seminar was put together by librarians from the sciences, business, the PTRC, and acquisitions. Attendees wrote questions for the panelists on slips of paper that were drawn and used to fuel the conversation, while also entering them into a drawing for IEEE swag. It was a great way for students to learn about campus resources that can help them with their startups, as well as alerting them to intellectual property issues that come with innovation.
More on the program at https://guides.ucf.edu/UCF-LIB-IEEE.
Image 2: IEEE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Seminar, November 15, 2017, John C. Hitt Library, UCF.
Other outreach activities include presenting “How a Librarian can help with Patents: An inside look into the research” at the National Docketing Association annual conference in September, and speaking on “Patents and Trademarks” at the UCF Blackstone Launchpad’s Starter Resources series in October 2017.
Image 3: Igor Olenich and Missy Murphey, NDA Conference, 9/19/17